diff --git a/Toy b/Toy
index 5686677..8b04939 160000
--- a/Toy
+++ b/Toy
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 56866773838aa28f21bb26f9988d929954f985b8
+Subproject commit 8b049394308f153064d3e6dd735746e517255900
diff --git a/core/engine.c b/core/engine.c
index 4b8ff8c..3f6e9bf 100644
--- a/core/engine.c
+++ b/core/engine.c
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 #include "lib_engine.h"
 #include "lib_standard.h"
+#include "repl_tools.h"
 
 #include "memory.h"
 #include "lexer.h"
@@ -24,79 +25,6 @@ static void fatalError(char* message) {
 	exit(-1);
 }
 
-//compilation functions
-//TODO: move these to their own file
-static char* readFile(char* path, size_t* fileSize) {
-	FILE* file = fopen(path, "rb");
-
-	if (file == NULL) {
-		fprintf(stderr, ERROR "Could not open file \"%s\"\n" RESET, path);
-		exit(-1);
-	}
-
-	fseek(file, 0L, SEEK_END);
-	*fileSize = ftell(file);
-	rewind(file);
-
-	char* buffer = (char*)malloc(*fileSize + 1);
-
-	if (buffer == NULL) {
-		fprintf(stderr, ERROR "Not enough memory to read \"%s\"\n" RESET, path);
-		exit(-1);
-	}
-
-	size_t bytesRead = fread(buffer, sizeof(char), *fileSize, file);
-
-	buffer[*fileSize] = '\0'; //NOTE: fread doesn't append this
-
-	if (bytesRead < *fileSize) {
-		fprintf(stderr, ERROR "Could not read file \"%s\"\n" RESET, path);
-		exit(-1);
-	}
-
-	fclose(file);
-
-	return buffer;
-}
-
-static unsigned char* compileString(char* source, size_t* size) {
-	Lexer lexer;
-	Parser parser;
-	Compiler compiler;
-
-	initLexer(&lexer, source);
-	initParser(&parser, &lexer);
-	initCompiler(&compiler);
-
-	//run the parser until the end of the source
-	ASTNode* node = scanParser(&parser);
-	while(node != NULL) {
-		//pack up and leave
-		if (node->type == AST_NODEERROR) {
-			printf(ERROR "error node detected\n" RESET);
-			freeNode(node);
-			freeCompiler(&compiler);
-			freeParser(&parser);
-			return NULL;
-		}
-
-		writeCompiler(&compiler, node);
-		freeNode(node);
-		node = scanParser(&parser);
-	}
-
-	//get the bytecode dump
-	unsigned char* tb = collateCompiler(&compiler, (int*)(size));
-
-	//cleanup
-	freeCompiler(&compiler);
-	freeParser(&parser);
-	//no lexer to clean up
-
-	//finally
-	return tb;
-}
-
 //exposed functions
 void initEngine() {
 	//clear
diff --git a/core/lib_engine.c b/core/lib_engine.c
index 44cf912..aa2fd35 100644
--- a/core/lib_engine.c
+++ b/core/lib_engine.c
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include "lib_engine.h"
 
 #include "engine.h"
+#include "repl_tools.h"
 
 #include "memory.h"
 #include "literal_array.h"
@@ -11,85 +12,6 @@ static void fatalError(char* message) {
 	exit(-1);
 }
 
-//compilation functions
-//TODO: move these to their own file
-#include "console_colors.h"
-#include "lexer.h"
-#include "parser.h"
-#include "compiler.h"
-#include "interpreter.h"
-
-static char* readFile(char* path, size_t* fileSize) {
-	FILE* file = fopen(path, "rb");
-
-	if (file == NULL) {
-		fprintf(stderr, ERROR "Could not open file \"%s\"\n" RESET, path);
-		exit(-1);
-	}
-
-	fseek(file, 0L, SEEK_END);
-	*fileSize = ftell(file);
-	rewind(file);
-
-	char* buffer = (char*)malloc(*fileSize + 1);
-
-	if (buffer == NULL) {
-		fprintf(stderr, ERROR "Not enough memory to read \"%s\"\n" RESET, path);
-		exit(-1);
-	}
-
-	size_t bytesRead = fread(buffer, sizeof(char), *fileSize, file);
-
-	buffer[*fileSize] = '\0'; //NOTE: fread doesn't append this
-
-	if (bytesRead < *fileSize) {
-		fprintf(stderr, ERROR "Could not read file \"%s\"\n" RESET, path);
-		exit(-1);
-	}
-
-	fclose(file);
-
-	return buffer;
-}
-
-static unsigned char* compileString(char* source, size_t* size) {
-	Lexer lexer;
-	Parser parser;
-	Compiler compiler;
-
-	initLexer(&lexer, source);
-	initParser(&parser, &lexer);
-	initCompiler(&compiler);
-
-	//run the parser until the end of the source
-	ASTNode* node = scanParser(&parser);
-	while(node != NULL) {
-		//pack up and leave
-		if (node->type == AST_NODEERROR) {
-			printf(ERROR "error node detected\n" RESET);
-			freeNode(node);
-			freeCompiler(&compiler);
-			freeParser(&parser);
-			return NULL;
-		}
-
-		writeCompiler(&compiler, node);
-		freeNode(node);
-		node = scanParser(&parser);
-	}
-
-	//get the bytecode dump
-	unsigned char* tb = collateCompiler(&compiler, (int*)(size));
-
-	//cleanup
-	freeCompiler(&compiler);
-	freeParser(&parser);
-	//no lexer to clean up
-
-	//finally
-	return tb;
-}
-
 //native functions to be called
 static int nativeInitWindow(Interpreter* interpreter, LiteralArray* arguments) {
 	if (engine.window != NULL) {
diff --git a/core/repl_tools.c b/core/repl_tools.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a115525
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/repl_tools.c
@@ -0,0 +1,141 @@
+#include "repl_tools.h"
+#include "lib_standard.h"
+
+#include "console_colors.h"
+
+#include "lexer.h"
+#include "parser.h"
+#include "compiler.h"
+#include "interpreter.h"
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
+//IO functions
+char* readFile(char* path, size_t* fileSize) {
+	FILE* file = fopen(path, "rb");
+
+	if (file == NULL) {
+		fprintf(stderr, ERROR "Could not open file \"%s\"\n" RESET, path);
+		exit(-1);
+	}
+
+	fseek(file, 0L, SEEK_END);
+	*fileSize = ftell(file);
+	rewind(file);
+
+	char* buffer = (char*)malloc(*fileSize + 1);
+
+	if (buffer == NULL) {
+		fprintf(stderr, ERROR "Not enough memory to read \"%s\"\n" RESET, path);
+		exit(-1);
+	}
+
+	size_t bytesRead = fread(buffer, sizeof(char), *fileSize, file);
+
+	buffer[*fileSize] = '\0'; //NOTE: fread doesn't append this
+
+	if (bytesRead < *fileSize) {
+		fprintf(stderr, ERROR "Could not read file \"%s\"\n" RESET, path);
+		exit(-1);
+	}
+
+	fclose(file);
+
+	return buffer;
+}
+
+void writeFile(char* path, unsigned char* bytes, size_t size) {
+	FILE* file = fopen(path, "wb");
+
+	if (file == NULL) {
+		fprintf(stderr, ERROR "Could not open file \"%s\"\n" RESET, path);
+		exit(-1);
+	}
+
+	int written = fwrite(bytes, size, 1, file);
+
+	if (written != 1) {
+		fprintf(stderr, ERROR "Could not write file \"%s\"\n" RESET, path);
+		exit(-1);
+	}
+
+	fclose(file);
+}
+
+//repl functions
+unsigned char* compileString(char* source, size_t* size) {
+	Lexer lexer;
+	Parser parser;
+	Compiler compiler;
+
+	initLexer(&lexer, source);
+	initParser(&parser, &lexer);
+	initCompiler(&compiler);
+
+	//run the parser until the end of the source
+	ASTNode* node = scanParser(&parser);
+	while(node != NULL) {
+		//pack up and leave
+		if (node->type == AST_NODEERROR) {
+			printf(ERROR "error node detected\n" RESET);
+			freeNode(node);
+			freeCompiler(&compiler);
+			freeParser(&parser);
+			return NULL;
+		}
+
+		writeCompiler(&compiler, node);
+		freeNode(node);
+		node = scanParser(&parser);
+	}
+
+	//get the bytecode dump
+	unsigned char* tb = collateCompiler(&compiler, (int*)(size));
+
+	//cleanup
+	freeCompiler(&compiler);
+	freeParser(&parser);
+	//no lexer to clean up
+
+	//finally
+	return tb;
+}
+
+void runBinary(unsigned char* tb, size_t size) {
+	Interpreter interpreter;
+	initInterpreter(&interpreter);
+
+	//inject the libs
+	injectNativeHook(&interpreter, "standard", hookStandard);
+
+	runInterpreter(&interpreter, tb, size);
+	freeInterpreter(&interpreter);
+}
+
+void runBinaryFile(char* fname) {
+	size_t size = 0; //not used
+	unsigned char* tb = (unsigned char*)readFile(fname, &size);
+	if (!tb) {
+		return;
+	}
+	runBinary(tb, size);
+	//interpreter takes ownership of the binary data
+}
+
+void runSource(char* source) {
+	size_t size = 0;
+	unsigned char* tb = compileString(source, &size);
+	if (!tb) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	runBinary(tb, size);
+}
+
+void runSourceFile(char* fname) {
+	size_t size = 0; //not used
+	char* source = readFile(fname, &size);
+	runSource(source);
+	free((void*)source);
+}
diff --git a/core/repl_tools.h b/core/repl_tools.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9ef421a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/repl_tools.h
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include "common.h"
+
+char* readFile(char* path, size_t* fileSize);
+void writeFile(char* path, unsigned char* bytes, size_t size);
+
+unsigned char* compileString(char* source, size_t* size);
+
+void runBinary(unsigned char* tb, size_t size);
+void runBinaryFile(char* fname);
+void runSource(char* source);
+void runSourceFile(char* fname);
+
diff --git a/test/test_engine_node.c b/test/test_engine_node.c
index 59fe058..7ad9020 100644
--- a/test/test_engine_node.c
+++ b/test/test_engine_node.c
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include "parser.h"
 #include "compiler.h"
 #include "interpreter.h"
+#include "repl_tools.h"
 #include "console_colors.h"
 
 #include <stdio.h>
@@ -15,78 +16,6 @@ static void noPrintFn(const char* output) {
 	//NO OP
 }
 
-//compilation functions
-char* readFile(char* path, size_t* fileSize) {
-	FILE* file = fopen(path, "rb");
-
-	if (file == NULL) {
-		fprintf(stderr, ERROR "Could not open file \"%s\"\n" RESET, path);
-		exit(-1);
-	}
-
-	fseek(file, 0L, SEEK_END);
-	*fileSize = ftell(file);
-	rewind(file);
-
-	char* buffer = (char*)malloc(*fileSize + 1);
-
-	if (buffer == NULL) {
-		fprintf(stderr, ERROR "Not enough memory to read \"%s\"\n" RESET, path);
-		exit(-1);
-	}
-
-	size_t bytesRead = fread(buffer, sizeof(char), *fileSize, file);
-
-	buffer[*fileSize] = '\0'; //NOTE: fread doesn't append this
-
-	if (bytesRead < *fileSize) {
-		fprintf(stderr, ERROR "Could not read file \"%s\"\n" RESET, path);
-		exit(-1);
-	}
-
-	fclose(file);
-
-	return buffer;
-}
-
-unsigned char* compileString(char* source, size_t* size) {
-	Lexer lexer;
-	Parser parser;
-	Compiler compiler;
-
-	initLexer(&lexer, source);
-	initParser(&parser, &lexer);
-	initCompiler(&compiler);
-
-	//run the parser until the end of the source
-	ASTNode* node = scanParser(&parser);
-	while(node != NULL) {
-		//pack up and leave
-		if (node->type == AST_NODEERROR) {
-			printf(ERROR "error node detected\n" RESET);
-			freeNode(node);
-			freeCompiler(&compiler);
-			freeParser(&parser);
-			return NULL;
-		}
-
-		writeCompiler(&compiler, node);
-		freeNode(node);
-		node = scanParser(&parser);
-	}
-
-	//get the bytecode dump
-	unsigned char* tb = collateCompiler(&compiler, (int*)(size));
-
-	//cleanup
-	freeCompiler(&compiler);
-	freeParser(&parser);
-	//no lexer to clean up
-
-	//finally
-	return tb;
-}
-
 int main() {
 	{
 		//setup interpreter